


Bloodbending

by VermeilH20



Series: Zutara Week 2018 [6]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, PTSD, SO AWESOME, Zutara, Zutara Week 2018, gratuitous battle scene, i like writing bending battles okay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 13:00:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15558264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VermeilH20/pseuds/VermeilH20
Summary: Old demons rear their heads and our protagonists find catharsis in unexpected ways.





	Bloodbending

“I can’t believe you missed the play.” Sokka lamented as Katara came down for breakfast. Everyone short of Zuko had made it down this morning, the Fire Lord having excused himself to handle court matters. “It was one of the highlights of the festival.”

“Wasn’t it by the Ember Island Players?” She remembered seeing a poster in the city on their last day out.

“Uh…”

“Glad I missed it.” Katara began to help herself from the buffet table.

“No, it was good. I mean, it was still really melodramatic, but the jokes have gotten a lot better and it wasn’t hating on us this time.”

“What was it about?”

“The Sozin’s Comet battle.” Toph said excitedly. “They got an even bigger guy to play me this time!” She sounded thrilled. “He screamed so loud a bunch of people in the front row passed out!”

“They actually got a guy for me this time.” Aang sounded very satisfied. “Althought the part where he called on the spirits to drain the spirit from Ozai was a bit sketchy.”

“I was in it and Mai too!” She held her hand up for a high five, which her friend tentatively returned. “I got to stop people from bending by tickling them!” She reached playfully for Toph and was stopped by a death glare. For a blind woman, Toph was surprising good at glaring.

“Yeah, they didn’t seem to get what chi-blocking is. They also made it look like I was the one who broke up with Zuko in the end. Not a bad way to be remembered in posterity, though.” She sounded pleased. “Better than being that chick who went back every damn time.”

“Azula’s defeat was the big finish, though.” Sokka looked at her. “Don’t be too disappointed that they gave Zuko the credit for the take-down. It was kind of sad, really. They made it look like he destabilized her by reminding her how their mother never loved her.”

Katara’s heart sank. “What…what did they do for the fight against Azula?” She still remembered the screaming, the mad fury and pain in the other girl’s eyes as Katara chained her to the storm drain. She very nearly killed herself, shooting freak lightning from her mouth. The sound of her sobbing had made Katara’s heart wrench. The other girl had lost almost everything. Sure, she was an evil sociopathic tyrant, but they had been the same age.

“Then she tried to attack you, using some, um, impolite words to describe the exact relationship between you and Zuko. He then gets mad and incinerates her with lightning.” Suki finished.

She still remembered the shock and fear when she had turned to see Zuko on the ground, the wound on his chest gaping. The lightning had cauterized it, so there wasn’t too much blood. The electricity had completely disrupted his heartbeat though. Katara clenched her fingers. She had rushed over to him, drawing water as she ran. As she placed her palms over the wound, she had known her healing abilities wouldn’t be enough. The fear and despair had welled up inside her, threatening to overflow. 

That was when she had realized bloodbending had healing abilities. She hadn’t told anyone, but in the next few days, she had supplemented the waterbending with bloodbending to slowly knit his body back into shape. She had had no idea what she was doing, but she had been desperate enough to try.

“Katara, you’re shaking.” Suki’s concerned voice sounded as if it was coming from underwater.

Nearly a decade had passed since then, but she still went cold every time she thought about it. First with Hama, then with Zuko. Both times desperately terrified for her friends’ lives. No matter how many people she healed, she could never take the stain from her hands. She never wanted to blood bend again. She hated it, hated it with fierce passion. To be able to do that to another person’s body…

“Katara!” She felt warm arms wrap around her. “Are you okay?” Suki and Sokka both held her between them.

“I’m fine. I…”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it would affect you like that.” Sokka sounded abashed.

“No, its just, I…” She didn’t know how to put it into words. “It’s a lot of things. I’m just feeling overwhelmed right now. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not. Don’t listen to her.” Toph said. “You’re shivering more than a firebender in a Boiling Rock freezer cell.”

“I just had a flashback to the final battle. About the lightning, and the blood.” She started shaking again. “I haven’t gotten them for years. I thought I was better.”

“You’ve been under a lot of stress lately, what with helping me with the new city, Zuko with his library, Sokka with chief things, research, healing and on top of all that, you got trapped in the cave yesterday.” Aang looked at her sympathetically. “I still get flashbacks about…a lot of things. Especially when I’m worn out.”

“We should probably get you to bed.” Mai had a clear look of concern, too. Katara was a bit surprised at the show of emotion.

“Guys, I’m fine. I’m not shaking anymore.” She took a deep breath as Suki and Sokka released her. “Thank you for being so understanding, but I think I’ve got it under control now.”

“Okay. But let us know if you are feeling light-headed.” Suki said.

Katara was a little annoyed at herself. It had been ten years. She thought they should have gone away by now. She finished her breakfast in silence.

***

A knock sounded on Katara’s door. When she opened it, Zuko stood on the other side.

“Hey. Everything okay?” He sounded concerned. “They told me what happened at breakfast. Well, Aang and Mai did, after Toph threatened to break down my door if I didn’t see you as soon as possible. Not that I ever needed any coercing.” He smiled his weak attempt at a joke.

Katara realized he had been standing in the doorway for a while. “Come in! Sorry it’s a mess. We usually hang out in Suki’s room. I wasn’t expecting company.”

Zuko looked skeptically at the spotless room. The only things out of place was the paper in the wastebasket and the pair of pajamas tossed on one of the chairs. He averted his eyes from the clothes with a blush. “Looks cleaner than mine does, anyway.” The only difference with his was that he had spilled a bit of tea on his desk this morning and hadn’t had time to clean it up. They were both very organized.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asked.

“We always talk.” Katara sounded a bit stressed. “I want to do something else right now. Sorry if that came out snappish.”

“No, its fine. You look like your about to snap.”

“It’s just, it’s the full moon tonight and I have a lot of pent-up energy right now.” She admitted. “I’ve been feeling on edge all day. I want to bend, but everyone else is on break and I don’t want anyone to pity-spar with me. Or feed into stereotypes about waterbenders during the full moon.” She also wanted someone to distract her from spiraling into thoughts about bloodbending.

“I don’t think Toph ever needs an excuse to fight people, but I’m free for the rest of the day. You want to go to the training rooms? I could use a non-firebender to train with, for a change.”

“Sure. Thank you.” She curtsied a little as he held the door open for her. He offered a small bow in exchange. They smiled softly at each other.  
***

The only warmth in the sparring room was coming from Zuko’s flaming fists. They stood on opposite sides, breathing heavily. Chunks of ice were embedded into the charred walls. They had had to open the roof to let the steam out.

The Fire Lord leaned forward, spinning his body to send of flurry of flaming kicks towards the Master Waterbender. She countered each one with the mass of water whips currently suspended behind her. With her face set in a battle frown, the whips swaying like a million tentacles (it was closer to ten, but it was still a lot), she looked positively terrifying.

At least, that’s what he thought when they were on opposite sides. Now, Zuko thought her battle face was cute, but he wasn’t about to say it out loud. No point in making her more determined to beat him.

“Eat ice!” Katara sent single water jet heading his way. He had hardly countered it when a dozen daggers came flying at him. He countered them with daggers of his own, fire and ice exploding in mid-air when they touched. 

“That little hailstorm all you got?” He egged her on, sending a stream of fire blazing towards her.

“If you keep throwing those puny fireballs at me, what else can you expect?” She sent a sheet of ice shooting across the floor, ducked low and rolled.

Zuko backed up as the ice kept coming. When it was about to touch his feet, he shot a burst of fire from his limbs to propel himself into the air. The heat also melted swathe on the floor. With a little added fire, he evaporated any traces of water near it. No way was he was going to be a standing turtle duck in a puddle of water.

His feet had barely touched the ground when she dove at him, her fist sheathed in an ice gauntlet. He retaliated by blasting a stream of fire at her midsection, sending her hurtling back. She immediately dissolved the gauntlet, creating a rope of water behind her. Her back struck the rope and she rebounded, coming back at him with an even bigger one. He dove out of the way, the ice shattering against the far wall.  
“How about some real power, princess?” He teased, lightning crackling at his finger tips.

“You want to see real power?” Katara began to churn the water around her in a ring, the breeze generated from the rapidly spinning liquid sending her hair flying. “Here you go!” She lifted the razor-thin wheel overhead and spun it straight towards him.

Zuko send the lightning streaming outward, not pausing to consider what would happen when the lightning came into contact with the water. It exploded, both attacks colliding with enough force to shatter the walls. The massive shockwave forced both combatants backward, but neither of them paused to examine the damage. Electricity crackled in the puddles before dying out. Katara created a cushion of water to shield herself from the impact, while Zuko spun back, a fire whip in either hand. She spun the mass of water around her and sent a jetstream straight for him. In the light of the setting sun, it looked like liquid fire. 

He leaped over it, using the momentum to send his whips surging downward. She dove out of the way, the whips slamming into the wall behind her. Before he could turn around, he felt three wet spheres strike him in the back in quick succession. He managed to hold out for two, but the last one knocked him over. Thinking quickly, he pinwheeled his feet, bursts of fire shooting out in all directions. That should keep her away. On the fifth cycle, he leapt back up, hands in a fighting position.

A loud cry from overhead alerted him to the fact that she had used her ice picks to scale the wall and was now bearing down on him. When had she learned to do that? It was his turn to drop and roll.

Right into a wall of ice. He struck the ground with his palm. “Yield. I yield.”

She offered him her hand, smiling with satisfaction. “You may rise with the sun, but I am made stronger by the full moon.”

Zuko thought she looked like an avenging angel. Her hair had come loose and was swaying softly in the late breeze. Her battle-worn body was perfectly silhouetted by the full moon rising overhead.

Katara looked even more flushed when he told her that, then grinned. They were standing outside, basking in the cool breeze. A handful of guards had come running when they heard the noise, but had been reassured by the sight of the two standing upright, albeit in somewhat burnt and steaming clothes. They had assured them that repairs would begin the following morning.

“I needed that. The sparring, not the compliment. But that was nice, too.”

“No problem. That’s what I’m here for. Both sparring and compliments.”

She leaned over and kissed him, both of them sinking down to the ground.

“And kissing, apparently.”

“Well, I am here for deep conversations and motivational speeches.”

He leaned over and lay his head in her lap.

“And cuddling, apparently.” Her fingers began playing with his hair, pulling out the sweat. She curled it into a little ball and chucked it into the grass.

“Is this why your hair always looks so nice?” Zuko asked as she began stroking his newly cleaned hair.

“One of the many reasons.” She told him. “Another being weekly oiling. Why do you think I wear it pulled back so often? My mother always covered my hair in fat once a week, and everyone in the water tribe wore their hair pulled back. I guess doing my hair always made me feel that much closer to home.”

“My mother used to do my hair every morning, before she had to leave. It was one of those moments of the day where it was just her and me.” He paused. “She did Azula’s for a while, but stopped when she started demanding that the maids do it. I think Mom was a bit hurt when she said only peasants didn’t have people to do their hair.”

Katara winced. “I can imagine.” She looked at the mess behind them. “We really did a number on that training room.”

Zuko grinned. “Why do you think there is a separate compound for training? Rookie firebending soldiers are notoriously destructive. The wood rooms are reserved for those who have full or nearly full control of their bending.” He chuckled, the sensation reverberating through her. “I don’t think the architects expected the strongest benders of their respective states to go at it full throttle, though. Well, two of the strongest.” He sighed. “Iroh still beat me in a match last time we sparred. Granted, I won two of the three, but I can only wish to be half as good when I am that age.”

Katara laughed. “I’ve taken out Master Pakku enough times that he refuses to get in the ring with me anymore. He says he is too old, and he doesn’t stand much of a chance against ‘uppity youngsters’”.

“So if even a renowned Master Waterbender can’t beat you and Azula couldn’t beat you, what hope do I have of winning?”

“Master Pakku is goodness only knows how old and you are much stronger now than Azula ever was. What’s your excuse?”

“Well, I’m only two years older than you, so that’s a lot of time we have left for me to try.”

“I look forward to that.” She touched her fingers to his cheek then his lips, startling a little when he caught her hand and kissed the back of it. “Are you tired.” She hurried to add at the consteranation in his expression. “I mean, it’s the middle of the night and you’re usually up at dawn”

“Not really. When I’m near you, it feels like I could stay awake for hours.” He said absentmindedly. She responded by pulling him into a kiss.

“Ack.” Katara looked wounded when he made a gagging noise. “No! Sorry, it’s just the sweat. I doubt I taste any better. I mean, um…” She was slightly mollified by the embarrassment in his expression.

“We should probably go clean up.”

***

There are few things a warm shower cannot fix. Katara had washed, dressed and made her way up to Zuko’s suite in a matter of minutes. She couldn’t deny that the burst of energy was exhilarating. She would be passed out in two days, but it would be a waste to spend this valuable night sleeping. Once a month, she felt like she was on top of the world.

After poking around his sitting room (the Fire Lord’s suite had seven very spacious rooms. She wondered what was in the others), Katara had decided to try and remove the last drops of water from her hair. She was busy flicking them into the fire orchid pot by the window when Zuko came through the antechamber door. He nearly keeled over when he saw her there. The single lamp in the window seat cast a halo of light around her. Her gauzy white dressing gown seemed to float on her frame. If she looked like an angel before…

“I told the guards that we were discussing state matters.” Katara said.

“They bought that?”

“I doubt it, but they let me in. We’ve got a few more hours until dawn. What do you want to do?” Katara asked.

“You were serious about the whole night, weren’t you?”

“I can leave if you’re tired.”

“And let you spiral again? Not a chance. We’re going to see this through, even if I’m half dead tomorrow. It’s the last day of the festivities celebrating the Comet Battle anyway. Everyone is going to be having a final hurrah. As long as I make it through dinner and dancing, I should be fine.”

“Save me a dance?” Katara grinned.

“Only one?” He smirked back.

“I should think the Fire Lord would have dozens of ladies vying for a chance to dance. I couldn’t possibly deprive them of that opportunity.”

“What about the beautiful, recently single Master Waterbender who saved the life of said Fire Lord? I should think she had a line of suitors waiting out the door.”

“Considering that only one of those comes with a kingdom.”

“And the other comes with a face people would actually want to wake up next to.”

“Oh, would you stop going on about that?” Katara looked aggrieved. “Nobody thinks it looks bad. In fact, I’ve heard some of the noblewomen say it looks dashing, dangerous even. Like a pirate.”

“I’m pretty sure my exploits those first months hunting for the Avatar qualify as piracy. But I don’t really care what those noblewomen think.” He sat down next to her on the window seat, taking her in his arms.

“No?” She looked at their reflections in the window pane.

“Not as long as I have you.” His eyes glittered in the lamplight, like shards of sunlight burned beneath them. Hers shone like liquid mercury, silver moonlight glowing in their blue depths. They bent down to kiss, passion crackling like lightning between them. A peal of thunder boomed from the horizon, startling them apart.

“Looks like a storm is heading this way.” Katara murmured.

“We don’t have to worry about that right now.” Zuko whispered back. They kissed again, bodies intertwining as the first drops of rain began to fall. They moved insistently, flowing around each other, attuned to every single variation.

Katara moaned as his hand cupped her, eyes widening at the heat even through her blouse. She could hear his heart beat as she pressed her own palm against his chest. His blood was moving, the thumping accelerating as their kisses became faster, more forceful. It wove through his body, so warm and alive…

He gasped, sitting bolt upright. This feeling, like his blood was being pulled from outside… he could see the lightning flashing, heading straight towards his heart as he dove. A sudden phantom pain stabbed him in the chest. He held it and groaned.

“I… I can’t.” Katara fell back, her eyes frightened. “Oh, Zuko.”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry. I just, I had a flashback. What a pair we make, huh?” He smiled weakly.

“I don’t think that was normal. I think it was me…bloodbending.” Silent tears welled up in her eyes.

“Are you okay?” Zuko reached out, then paused. “Can I touch you?” He asked, the fear in her eyes tearing through his heart.

“No, I don’t think that would be a good idea.” Katara curled her arms around her body. They felt warmer than usual. It sickened her. “I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, don’t worry. Azula used to get like this when solar flares happened. She had trouble holding in the power when she was younger. You don’t have that much raw talent without a little leaking out on the side.” He sighed. “She burnt her favorite doll during one of those episodes. When I tried to comfort her, she pushed me away and said it didn’t matter because she was going to destroy everything, whether she wanted to or not. That it was her destiny to shape the world and babies who played with dolls couldn’t become powerful benders like she was destined to be. No need to guess where she got those ideas.”

“But you all are living, breathing, people. Not dolls.”

“She also accidentally burnt mother and me a handful of times. Father always stayed away when she got like this. I think it hurt her more, feeling like not being in control made him love her less. I personally think he was just worried about getting his fancy robes smoked. Then, when mother started to pull away, it kind of did it for her. I remember the first couple of times, she used to be really worried, apologizing and dragging me to the healers. Then, as the years went on, she seemed to take an almost malicious enjoyment in smiting me. Once she got her powers under control and couldn’t use it as an excuse anymore, she started with the taunts.”

“Power can be overwhelming sometimes, but I know you would never hurt anyone intentionally. You don’t have to be scared.”

“No, it’s not like that. I know I won’t hurt anyone. Unlike flare-ups, I have always been in control of this. It’s just, sometimes when I get really emotional, my bending starts to reflect that. Normally, I can’t even bloodbend unless it’s the full moon.”

“Then, what about that… the days after the battle? Those weren’t full moons.”

“Like I said. Sometimes my emotions make me able to do things I didn’t even think I could do otherwise. Do you remember that time I stopped the rain? That was pure anguish. I didn’t even know it was possible for me to have that level of control.”

“Do you want to do something else, now?” He asked quietly.

Katara looked up at him, the familiar sparkle struggling to come out from behind the pain in her eyes. “I have an idea.”

***

Ten minutes later, they were screaming as they slid down the large staircase in the west wing. Zuko had told her the other boys were staying in this wing. She told him Aang already knew the two of them were together, and that Sokka could sleep through a polar bear dog stampede, so there was nothing to worry about.

It had been Katara’s idea. “This is a game Sokka, Aang and I used to play. We would climb up the tallest staircase we could find, I would ice the whole length into a ramp, and then we would slide all the way down.”

Zuko had looked wary at first. “Didn’t any of you fall off?”

“That’s what the rails are for. Besides, I have waterbending and you have your fire-flying.”

“That’s not what it’s called.” He said, amused as she sent a sheath of ice down the steps.

“Well, tell me at the bottom!” Before he could stop her, she had jumped, shrieking as gravity took over. At the bottom, she had arced the ice even further, completing a loop before landing neatly, her hands over her head. “Showoff.”

“Come on down!” She shouted. “The ice is fine!”

Despite having arrived at the bottom slightly petrified and a bit cold, he found he didn’t want his first to be his last.

“You know, Aang used to make these little airstreams behind us to generate more speed.”

“That’s what this needs. More speed.”

“I was just wondering if you could do something similar with flame propulsion.”

“You want me to use fire to make us go faster down an ice-slicked wooden staircase in the Fire Nation Palace?”

“Please? Just once.” He had given in. If he was being honest with himself, he had been considering the idea well before she had suggested it.

Neither of them had expected just how fast it would be, though. They whooped as they shot down the staircase, landing in a heap at the bottom. Their laughter was disrupted by an slightly obnoxious exclamation. 

“What in the four nations is going on here?” Sokka stood above them, a sleepy Aang at his side. He squinted suspiciously at his sister and the Fire Lord currently entangled with her. “I can’t believe you two. Did you think you could keep this from me?”

They had barely opened their mouths when he continued. “I can’t believe you are staircase-sliding without us! Isn’t that right Aang?” He turned away when the still half-asleep Avatar didn’t reply fast enough “How could you?”

“Sorry.” Katara apologized, both to Zuko and her brother. Sokka didn’t seem to catch on, looking appeased.

“Well, as long as you let us join in. Hey, Aang, do you think you could replicate a flamethrower’s force if you and Zuko here both bended behind us at the same time?”

Katara giggled at the horrified expressions on the other two’s faces. Aang suddenly looked much more awake. She didn’t know whether it was the thrill of escaping being caught out or just the fact that the moon was starting to sink, but she was feeling a bit better. Something warm stirred within her as she saw that Zuko seemed to be less tense, too. This night hadn’t been so bad after all.


End file.
